This invention relates to a dispensing apparatus such as a spreader and more particularly to a chemical dispensing apparatus for use with a tractor.
As one can ascertain, there are many mechanisms which are presently employed to dispense various chemicals which are used in the treatment of lawns and so on. Presently, there are many private and franchise operations which offer the consumer lawn care or lawn maintenance services. As such, these operations will apply fertilizer, seed, insecticides and various other chemicals needed to adequately maintain a lawn. As such, it is extremely desirable to employ some form of automatic equipment so that such materials can be rapidly and effectively applied. In doing so, both the consumer and the operator save time and expense.
The prior art is replete with a number of patents which show various types of spreading devices which are automatically operated from a tractor or other types of machinery. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 42,758 entitled FERTILIZER issued on May 17, 1864 to P. Eley shows a cart which may contain manure or some other substance and as the cart is manually moved, a cylinder is rotated. Power for rotating the cylinder is afforded by the wheel of the cart.
Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,841,401 entitled SPREADER FOR FERTILIZER AND THE LIKE issued on July 1, 1958 to A. Mascara shows a push spreader for distributing lawn materials. This spreader employs a pulley system which engages a tire portion of a wheel and rotates the spreader element. There are other patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,829,896; 2,946,597 and 3,085,807 which employ drive mechanisms operative to operate a spreader mechanism from the wheel of an external vehicle.
In any event, there are various problems in regard to such patents and such systems. Certain of the problems reside in the fact that the systems are complicated and require extensive renovation of the vehicle to which they are attached to in order to fully and optimumly operate the same. A further problem is that the majority of these systems employ a single drive wheel which is coupled to one wheel of the vehicle. Such mechanisms produce unbalanced forces and are mechanically unstable as well as being difficult to maintain and repair.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispensing apparatus for use with a tractor or similar vehicle. The apparatus employs dual friction wheels which are mounted on a common shaft and adapted to engage both rear wheels of a tractor or vehicle. The system to be described is extremely economical and efficient and is adapted for use with a large number of commercially available tractor mechanisms and can be secured to such mechanisms rapidly and efficiently.